Crossword puzzle structure



Feb. 26, 1957 R. G. LARROCA cRosswoRD PUZZLE STRUCTURE Filed July 6, 1955 United States Patent() CROSSWORD 'PUZZLE STRUCTURE Ramon G. Larroca, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application .July 6, .1955., .Serial No- .520,172

7 Claims. (Cl. 3S.71')

'This invention relates 4to a crossword puzzle construction and has for .an object to provide 'a game -tlvice .that may be used for solving a plurality of different puzzles as well as devising or constructing different puzzles. In keepingwith "fdo it yourself trends, the .different puzzles are capable, as indicated, of individual and original construction.

Another object of the invention is .to provide `a puzzle .construction in which the pattern of the word arrangement .may be varied in a large range.

The invention also 'has 'for its objects to provide ,Such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawing merely shows and the following description merely describes preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are given by way of illustra-tion or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly broken away, of a preferred form of crossword puzzle construction that embodies features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged and broken cross-sectional view as taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a modification.

The puzzle that is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises, generally, a back 5, a frame 6 disposed on the face of said back and formed to define a seat 7, a plurality of intertitting pattern elements 8 in interchangeable arrangement in said seat, and a mask element 9 movable into and out of superposed position over elements 8. The drawing shows a sheet 10 that is disposed beneath elements 3 within frame 7.

The back may be advantageously made of any suitable ilat and substantially rigid plate material, of which aluminum plate, wood and hard plastics are examples. If of aluminum or plastic, said back may be rendered rigid by the provision along, at least, two adjacent edges of reinforcing ilanges or beads 11.

The frame 6 may be made of a plastic plate material and preferably aiiixed to the top face of backing 5, as by adhesive or in other suitable ways. The seat 7 in said frame is preferably rectangular and is defined by upper and lower portions 12 and 13 and a lateral portion 14. The frame is generally C-shaped, being open at the side that is shown in Fig. 1 at the left. The lateral por-tion 14, while shown broken away, is, in practice, of some considerable width to constitute a support space for crossword definitions, either on separate sheets or in book form. It will be understood that the definition-supporting space may be provided in portion 13, if desired, in

'ice

2 which case the portion 14 maybe narrower than 4if ydesigned as definition-supporting space.

The set of elements 8 may be made of sheet material similar to the material used -for frame 6. In this case, six such elements are shown, the size of keach being indicated by the edges 15, 16, 17 and 18. 4Said elements are, of course, rectangular and lend themselves `to being divided into a plurality of squares by longitudinal and trans- `verse lines 19. Some of the squares thus provided may be blackened or heavily pigmented, as at 20, while fthe remaining squares may each be provided with a hole 21 of a diameter approaching the dimensions of the square.

The black squares 20 are preferably Yfewer in Vnumber than the squares having the holes 21. Also, the squares 20 of the elements 8 are arranged on dilerent patterns, Thus, said elements may be diierently arranged in numer ous ways to give different puzzle patterns in which the squares with the holes 21 are letter spaces of words fitting between vertically or transversely spaced black -squares 20. -For purposes lof identification, the elements 8 may be differently numbered, as shown at 22.

The frame recess 7 serves also yto locate the sheet o -paper 10 beneath vthe elements 8, the same being adapted .to Lbefrnarked through holes 21.

`"The mask Ielement 9 comprises a sheet of material simi- .lar tothe material lused for elements 8.. As shown, element 9 comprises a rectangular sheet that is connected by a hinge 23 to an edge of backing 5, said sheet being marked off into squares by lines 24 and each such square being provided with a hole 25 that is preferably the same size as the holes lin elements 3. The number of squares in mask element 9 is the same as in the complement of elements 8 and when said element 9 is in superposed position over elements 8, the squares of said elements are in mutual register.

By providing the squares in element 9 with numbers 26 arranged serially, the sheet 10 may be marked, according to number-keyed delinitions, through the registering holes 21 and 25. The blackened squares in the elements 8 will be visible through registering holes 25 and the same serve `to separate successive words of the puzzle.

Instead of a paper or similar sheet 10, the upper face of backing 5 may be marked either with pencil or ink, or said face may be treated or covered so that marking may be effected with any sharp-pointed instrument of stylus. Eradication of such markings may be provided for so that the backing surface may be used again and again for different puzzles.

Swinging of the masking sheet 9 outward on its hinge gives access to elements 8 for rte-arrangement and to sheet 10 for removal and replacement.

In the modification of Fig. 3, the back 5a carries preferably Iraised shear projections 30 that are arranged either in a given pattern or a variable one. In the latter case, said projections would be shiftable to different positions on back 5a. The mask element 9a has holes 25a comparable to the holes 25 and in register with projections 30. Thus, a sheet of paper 10a on back Sa is covered by masking element 9a as the latter is swung down on hinge 23a, and the projections 30 cooperate with holes 25a to punch out portion of sheet 10a. Therefore, if the outer faces 31 of said projections are blacked or otherwise colored or marked, the same will serve the same purpose as blackened squares 20. The finished puzzle on sheet 10a will have holes where it ordinarily would have blackened squares.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what are now contemplated to be lthe best modes of carrying out the invention, the constructions are, of course, subject to modication without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is, therefore, not desired to restrict back, a flat frame on the outer face of said back and detining a seat receptive of a sheet to be marked, a complef ment of fiat elements cooperating to fill said frame seat -above said sheet, each element having a squared arrangement of pigmented squares and hole-provided squares, the

`elements being interchangeable one for the other, and a movable masking element superposed over the complement of elements and having a squared arrangement of holes in register with the holes and pigmented squares of said complement of elements so that said sheet may be marked through the registered holes, each of the holes .in said masking element being numbered.

2. A crossword puzzle structure according to claim 1: the movable masking sheet and the back being hingedly i connected.

3. A crossword puzzle structure according to claim 1:

each said at element having more holes than pigmented squares.

4. A crossword puzzle structure comprising a back,

Jsaid'back having a flat space receptive of a sheet to be marked, a plurality of pigmented units in irregularly spaced squared arrangement above said back, said units/ having their pigmented surfaces raised above the at space of said back, and a movable masking element superposed over the back and the sheet thereon, said masking element having holes in squared arrangement, some of said holes being n register with said pigmented units, and all of said holes being numbered.

5. A crossword puzzle structure according to claim 4: the pigmented units being raised above the top surface of the back and having sharp edges, and said sharp edges cutting through the paper to form holes that expose the pigment of said units when the masking element is moved to superposed position over the back and the sheet thereon.

6. A crossword puzzle structure according to claim 4: a. complement of at elements interposed between the sheet and the masking element, the pigmented units being provided on said complement of elements.

7. A crossword puzzle structure according to claim 4: a complement of at elements interposed between the sheet and the masking element, the pigmented units being provided on said complement of elements, and the latter having holes in register with the holes in the masking element` References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,487,493 Tolman Mar. 18, 1924 1,578,554 Seligman Mar. 30, 1926 1,604,127 Lambert Oct. 26, 1926 1,946,318 Hamilton Feb. 6, 1934 2,703,459 Paquette Mar. 8, 1955 

